Raghuvamsa play is a literary magnum opus written by the famous poet
Kalidasa. The play is synonymous with the creator and is often called
Raghuvamsa Kalidasa. The play basically traces the roots of the great
lineage of Lord Rama and his descendants and the great conqueror Raghu.
Raghuvamsam basically talks about the valor and strength of the great
warrior Raghu. Read on further to know about this great warrior and the
literary masterpiece Raghuvamsa.
The
Raghuvamsa is the story of the great lineage starting from Lord Surya
that produced some great warrior kings. The most famous of them all is
undoubtedly Lord Rama, whose story has been glorified in the great epic
of Ramayana. Raghuvamsa talks of the great emperor Raghu and his
exploits and the battles he won. He led a military expedition to
Transoxiana. Conquering anything and anyone who came in his path, he
marches through central Asia and reached Vankshu, where a horrible
battle was fought. The faces of the defeated were mutilated beyond
disgust and it is said that this form of facial mutilation was
widespread in Central Asia at that time.
After the Vankshu, Raghu and his army came across the Kambojas, who
readily submitted to the valor of the great warrior and pleased him with
gifts and rich treasures. The Kambojas are presumably the ancient people
of Iran who are often referred to in ancient Indian texts. The growth of
walnut trees is mentioned in the text and even today this region is
known for its walnut cultivation.
It is believed that the literary figure of Raghu could have been
inspired from Chandragupta Vikramaditya, as there are striking
resemblances between the two conquerors. Chandragupta Vikramaditya
himself gained much fame and respect by conquering many lands to spread
the Gupta Empire. Kalidasa's Raghuvamsa gives immense adoration and fame
to the Gupta rulers. The contribution of Raghuvamsa in Indian literature
is indeed priceless and something that should be given prime importance.
